Latest news with #WalnutCreek
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Tesla Stock Up 58% As Cybertruck Value Dips. China, Europe Sales Drop
Tesla stock has soared 58% after CEO Elon Musk announced plans to leave DOGE. Can he restore the company's brand value? If not, company shares are too high. WALNUT CREEK, CA - MAY 14: Matthew LeBrot is photographed with his Tesla cybertruck, bearing anti ... More Musk slogans, in a park near his home in Walnut Creek, California on May 14, 2025. Lebrot lost his job as a Tesla sales manager after calling for Elon Musk to step down from the company after Tesla posted huge losses. (Photo by Martin Klimek for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Musk plans to return to Tesla '24/7' Tesla's brand reputation has plunged since 2021 Tesla sales in China and Europe are down due to more aggressive rivals Cybertruck trade-in values saddle Tesla with lower valued inventory Tesla stock may be 23% overvalued Tesla stock trade 29% below their peak last December. However, the company's share price bottomed out in early April — around the time of reports CEO Elon Musk would leave the Department of Government Efficiency, noted Newsweek. Since April 8, Tesla stock has risen 58%, according to GoogleFinance. Does this represent a buying opportunity? The most likely explanation for the rise is investor enthusiasm for Musk's '24/7' return to Tesla coupled with a temporary reprieve on 50% tariffs on European Union exports to the U.S., according to TipRanks. Here's why Musk's return could be bad for Tesla's stock: To be fair, in Tesla's April 22 earnings call, the company doubled down 'on its robotaxi launch in Austin this June, giving investors a near-term growth lever to latch onto,' noted TipRanks. It is unclear whether Musk is more part of the problem than part of the solution for Tesla investors. I have requested comment from Tesla and will update this post if I receive a reply. While Republicans expressed more favorable opinions than did Democrats, Tesla's brand reputation has fallen over the last five years. Tesla has fallen from was eighth place in the 2021 reputation ranking of America's 100 most visible companies, according to Axios. In 2024,Tesla fell to sixty-third place and in 2025 is at ninety-fifth — placing 'dead last in 'character,' while placing near the bottom in 'ethics' and 'citizenship,' ' noted Axios. After reporting a first-time sales and profit decline, the bad news for Tesla appears to coincide with Musk's decision to 'go all-in for President Donald Trump,' noted Daily Kos. Musk's $288 million donations to Trump's campaign, according to the Washington Post, his 'Nazi salute on Trump's Inauguration Day in January,' and his actions slashing jobs as leader of DOGE, likely eroded Tesla's brand for many drivers, Daily Kos reported. Tesla's second largest market is China where 2025 sales and registrations are inauspicious. 'Although first quarter sales were flat versus 2024, the first seven weeks of the second quarter witnessed a 25% slump in new registrations in China,' according to a report from Citi analyst Jeff Chung featured by MarketWatch. Tesla's China woes seem due more to competition than concerns about Musk. For example, Xiaomi's newly launched YU7 model electric SUV is priced in Tesla's Model Y $35,000 to $45,000 price range while boasting 100 miles better driving range, noted MarketWatch. The YU7 will 'significantly erode Tesla's Model Y market share," Chung added. In Europe, things look worse for Tesla. In April, Tesla sold 7,261 cars in Europe — 49% fewer than the year before according to a European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) report featured by CNBC. While Tesla's brand in Europe has been damaged, competition and a lack of hybrid EVs — running with traditional fuel and small batteries — in Tesla's lineup are also costing the company market share. Last week, a report said China's BYD sold more pure EVs in Europe than Tesla for the first time, noted CNBC. What's more 35% of European consumers prefer hybrid EVs , according to ACEA data. European Union new car registrations data revealed more bad news for Tesla. The company's 'market share for the first four months of 2025 almost halved to just 1.1%, and its April figures were even worse with just 0.7%,' MarketWatch reported. Tesla's cybertruck is not a significant part of the company's revenue — but it symbolizes the challenges facing Musk. In December 2023, Cybertruck sales appeared poised to sell far fewer — 75,000 — than the two million reserved, according to my December 2023 Forbes post. The Cybertruck was designed to appeal to small segment of the population and would be difficult to manufacture at scale. The design was an 'Apocalypse-bunker-on-wheels,' wrote Streetsblog. Social media compared the Cybertruck's design to 'a roided-out Blade Runner jalopy and an industrial refrigerator,' noted by 2023 post. Meanwhile, the Cybertruck's outer shell was hard to bend and manipulate. Tesla has been challenged to 'shape the material into body panels that line up correctly and don't result in large gaps when installed' reported the Wall Street Journal. 'On top of that, it is so hard and strong that it can be difficult to flatten, these people said,' added the Journal. After numerous technical problems and recalls, Cybertruck sales fell short of my predictions.'Only about 40,000 people ended up converting their reservations into orders,' noted Electrek. And after avoiding consumer requests for trade-ins, Tesla is now offering buyers $65,400 for Cybertrucks with only 6,000 miles on the odometer — 34.6% depreciation in just a year which compares unfavorably to the 20% depreciation of pickup trucks, Electrek reported. Pickup trucks generally lose about 20% of their value after a year Tesla trades above its price target. According to 37 Wall Street analysts, Tesla's average price target of $282.70 means the company's stock is 23% over-valued as of this writing, noted TipRanks.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Exit Factor Expands Territory With New Location in Walnut Creek, California
Helping Bay Area Business Owners Increase Value and Plan for a Profitable Exit WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2025 / Exit Factor™, a business consulting company that specializes in exit planning for small to mid-sized companies, announced today the opening of its newest location in Walnut Creek, California. Scott Langbein, owner and lead exit strategist, supports small and mid-sized business owners across San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Moraga, Orinda, Lafayette, and Walnut Creek, California. With 25 years of experience in corporate technology, Langbein helps clients maximize their business value and prepare for a successful Factor Logo The Exit Factor program is a proven process with tailored exit plans that safeguard the long-term value of a business now and in the future, no matter the size. Designed to help owners take control of their business by maximizing profit, efficiency, and value from day one, even if a sale isn't uppermost on the owner's mind. 'Wealth and value are not limited resources,' said Scott Langbein, owner. 'Small business owners are the backbone of our economy. I help them plan for and grow toward their unique business goals-whether that means selling, scaling into a larger business, or passing it down to family. Having a plan is key, and I'm here to help them create it. The Exit Factor company was founded by best-selling author, speaker, and small-business advocate Jessica Fialkovich. Her passion for helping business owners maximize their company's value, grew from her experience as a business broker and owner of a Transworld Business Advisors® franchise. For businesses that were not quite ready to sell, or had potential to increase their value prior to listing, Fialkovich developed a program, teaching strategies on ways to build value, profitability, and salability. 'We're very proud of the success Exit Factor has had in helping businesses plan for profitability to ensure business owners maximize their company's value when it's time to sell,' Jessica Fialkovich said. 'We look forward to bringing Exit Factor of Walnut Creek, California on board to help even more business owners.' Participants in Exit Factor's program earn back an average of $2,700 in exit value for every hour they spend in the program. Within the first year, clients have seen a 25% increase in profit and a 56.7% increase in business value. For those who have decided to sell, the program has helped them achieve successful exits. About Exit Factor Exit Factor™ offers a proven method that helps small to mid-size business owners maximize their company's value. It's among the United Franchise Group™ (UFG) family of affiliated brands and consultants, representing the very best in their industries. Through one-on-one consulting services and online programs, the trusted advisors at Exit Factor teach entrepreneurs how to successfully improve their company's efficiency, value and ultimately ability to exit. For more information, visit and for more information on owning an Exit Factor franchise, visit Contact Information Scott Langbein Owner 925-594-6576 SOURCE: Exit Factor press release
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
East Bay Park officials urge caution on trails as rattlesnake season returns
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - With spring temperatures on the rise, rattlesnakes are reemerging across the East Bay, prompting the East Bay Regional Park District to issue a warning to park visitors ahead of the weekend. "We like to remind folks to be safe and vigilant with their eyes on the trail in the parks," said Dave Mason, a spokesperson for the park district. At Briones Regional Park in Walnut Creek, several hikers said they had already spotted rattlesnakes, including one jogger who encountered one earlier in the day. "I just saw one down here, I almost stepped on him," said Rob Holmes. "A little baby guy, but typically you'll see them at 5 or 6 p.m. coming out for some warmth." While rattlesnake bites are rare, officials advise hikers to stay on trails, avoid tall grass, and look carefully before sitting near logs or rocks. "You just don't want to get too close, and if you just wait a sec, they amble off," said park visitor Dan Harrington. Experts also recommend listening for the distinct sound of a rattle. "A lot of times, rattlesnakes will give you a little warning that they're there," said Mason. Len Ramirez, a professional snake wrangler, said runners should be particularly cautious. "Runners need to especially pay attention, that they don't step on a snake," said Ramirez, who owns Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal. "And if they were to spot a snake while in motion while running, it would be a good idea to sidestep or run around the opposite side of its head." He also urged dog owners to keep pets leashed. "Keep your dog out of the tall grass. I see a lot of dogs that are bit by rattlesnakes," he said. For homeowners living near snake habitats, reducing food sources can help deter snakes. "If you keep the irrigation down, and you don't have a garden, and you don't have any food source out there for mice or lizards, the chances are there's not going to be snakes," said Luis Frazer, a professional snake wrangler who owns The East Bay Regional Park District is also reminding the public that it is illegal to harm or kill a rattlesnake. If bitten, officials say remain calm and call 911 immediately.
CBS News
09-05-2025
- CBS News
Bay Area man accused of engaging in sexual acts with Ceres minor
CERES — Ceres police said Friday that officers arrested a Bay Area man who faces multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Pittsburg resident Christopher Rios, 27, was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center following a six-month-long investigation that began when a 16-year-old girl's mother "discovered suspicious messages on her daughter's social media accounts," police said. Rios allegedly had traveled from Walnut Creek to Ceres to engage in sexual acts with the girl in exchange for cash and vape pens. Ceres police said it was also discovered that sexually explicit photos were exchanged through social media. Law enforcement officials located and arrested Rios in Walnut Creek. Ceres police said there is no indication of additional victims but urged anyone with information to come forward.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Jack Katz, Pioneer of the Graphic Novel, Is Dead at 97
Jack Katz, a comic-book artist and writer whose 768-page magnum opus, 'The First Kingdom,' published in installments over a dozen years starting in 1974, was widely credited with helping give birth to the long-form graphic novel, died on April 24 in Walnut Creek, Calif., east of San Francisco. He was 97. His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by a friend, Brian Miller. Mr. Katz published 'The First Kingdom,' a sprawling blend of fantasy and science fiction with philosophical underpinnings, in two books every year until he reached Issue No. 24 — a number he arrived at intentionally, as that was the number of books in Homer's epics, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey.' Mr. Katz's own epic begins after a nuclear apocalypse, as small bands of humans try to survive among dinosaurlike mutants, monsters, gods and other fantastical beings. It becomes 'a complex science fiction epic that tells of man's migration into space, the ensuing galactic battles, and the great mystery of mankind's origin before the fall of civilization,' as the reference site Lambiek Comiclopedia describes it. Channeling the anything-goes spirit of the underground comics scene of the 1960s and '70s, Mr. Katz brought this sweeping tale to life with lavish, multilayered illustrations, obsessing over the tiniest details. In keeping with the counterculture ethos, there was plenty of nudity, too. His enormous ambition paid off. The revered comics pioneer Will Eisner once called 'The First Kingdom' 'one of the most awesome undertakings in modern comic book history.' Jerry Siegel, who created Superman with Joe Shuster, wrote that 'reading 'The First Kingdom' is like seeing captured on paper glimpses of a dream world depicted by an artist with remarkable creative vision.' Although Mr. Katz came to be considered a maverick genius by many aficionados, there was little hint during the first half of his career that he was headed for comics immortality. Yes, he was experienced. He started in the industry in his teens and later worked for a wide variety of comics publishers, including Marvel, DC and Standard. He had worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Stan Lee and two other major influences: Alex Raymond, the creator of Flash Gordon, and Hal Foster, of 'Tarzan' and 'Prince Valiant' fame. Still, Mr. Katz had an artistic temperament, and he chafed at the commercial strictures of the business. He spent five years doing a little bit of everything at King Features Syndicate, which distributed 'Blondie' and 'Flash Gordon,' but he was less than sanguine about the experience. 'They had a whole stable of artists,' Mr. Katz recalled about such companies in a 2019 interview with The East Bay Times of Northern California. 'It was like working in a factory.' It did not help that his obsessive attention to detail could push deadlines — and editors — to their limit. 'I used to draw the anatomy under the clothes to get the wrinkles exactly right,' he added. 'It took time. Sometimes, too much.' And he could be prickly. In a 1976 interview with The Berkeley Gazette, he described the business of that era as peopled by 'a bunch of little sycophants suckling on their udders.' Had it not been for his midcareer turn with 'The First Kingdom,' the comic-book writer Steven Ringgenberg wrote in a recent appreciation in The Comics Journal, it's likely that Mr. Katz 'would have been regarded as just a journeyman artist, who tried — with little success — to make a living in comics.' Jacob Katz was born on Sept. 27, 1927, in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. He spent part of his childhood in Ottawa and, after many moves, eventually wound up back in Brooklyn, where, he told The East Bay Times, 'my parents used to get into trouble with our landlord when I was a kid' because he 'was always drawing on the walls.' As a youth, he gave himself an autodidact's version of a fine art education, visiting the city's museums to study the work of the Renaissance painters and other masters. As a student at the School of Industrial Art (now the High School of Art and Design) in Manhattan, he later said, he was awful at every subject but art. He got his first taste of the business as a teenager, penciling for Archie Comics and drawing the superhero Bulletman for Fawcett. He later worked on a variety of projects, including war and Western books, for Atlas Comics, which would evolve into Marvel. During the mid-1950s, he quit comics for a time to focus on painting, earning comparisons to the American realist painters of the Ashcan School, while exhibiting in gallery shows and teaching at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. Mr. Katz returned to comics in the late 1960s, but took another break in his 40s after leaving New York, the cradle of comic books, for the San Francisco Bay Area. His wife, Carolyn, encouraged him to pursue what would become his career-defining project, and he lived off savings for a year and a half to get 'The First Kingdom' rolling. The idea for the story was almost as old as Mr. Katz himself. 'The inspiration for 'The First Kingdom' came to me in a dream when I was just three years old,' he said in a 2013 interview with ICv2, an online magazine that covers what it calls 'geek culture.' 'Most of my major works owe their genesis to dreams I had as a kid.' The volumes were issued originally by the publishing arm of Comics & Comix, a retailer in Berkeley, and later by Bud Plant, a founder of Comics & Comix. After completing his masterwork, Mr. Katz continued to paint and teach art. Along the way, he published two books on the art of anatomy, two volumes of sketchbooks and another graphic novel, 'Legacy,' about the mysterious fate of a billionaire's fortune, written with the comics veteran Charlie Novinskie. Mr. Katz's survivors include two sons, Ivan and David, and two daughters, Beth and Laura Katz, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His three marriages ended in divorce. Around 2013 — the year Titan Comics reissued 'The First Kingdom' — Mr. Katz embarked on an ambitious follow-up to his masterwork: a 500-page graphic novel called 'Beyond the Beyond,' which he financed in part through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, while toiling away on it up to 18 hours a day, often in his pajamas, he said in a 2015 video interview. He added that he already had the story by the time he was 12, and that 'The First Kingdom' was basically its preamble. 'All of these people, they were, 'Oh you're 45, you're over the hill!'' he told ICv2, recalling the early days of 'The First Kingdom.' 'I'm 85 now! I'm ready to take on 'Beyond the Beyond'!' That work, completed in 2019, remains unpublished. Then again, Mr. Katz understood the challenges going in. 'For heaven's sake,' he said, 'you know, if you climbed Mount Everest one time, it's not a snap the second.'
